Detox Scheduled To Close

The Iridian Youth Detox Centre is scheduled to close on June 30 when its federal funding expires. The Iridian Centre has been playing a vital role in our community in providing detox services to young people particularly women who want to stop using crack, crystal meth and other street drugs. If this centre is forced to close, many young women will likely be lured into prostitution in order to finance their drug habit thereby exacerbating the existing crime problem in Kelowna.

The Iridian Centre has been operating for 22 months during which time it has treated 155 people with an 80% success rate. It is the only centre of its kind in the Okanagan with a four bed transition suite staffed by a resident counsellor, psychiatric nurse and a team leader.

Operated by the Okanagan Family Society, a non-profit group, the Centre has scheduled meetings with the Province in early July at which time they feel that the required funding will be provided, according to Dennis Dandeneau, Executive Director. However, they urgently need funding to keep the Centre open until such time. Being closed for even a short period would mean their services would not be available to those who need it and could also result in a loss of staff.

Citizens for Responsible Community Planning is requesting that City Council provide interim funding in order to keep the Centre open until such time as long term funding from senior levels of government becomes available. Such funding would amount to approximately $1000 per day and would probably be required for only a short period of time. As Kelowna City Council has endorsed the Four Pillars approach to dealing with drug-related crime, it is important to provide financial assistance in order to enable the pillars of prevention and rehabilitation to work. Enforcement is an important part of the Four Pillars approach but relying soley on enforcement will not solve social problems. We therefore hope that this issue will appear as an item for discussion on the City Council agenda for the meeting of Monday, June 27 as this is the last date that Council can address the matter before the Centre is scheduled to close.

Yours truly,

John Zeger, Chairman
Citizens for Responsible Community Planning